The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced it is creating a digital system for submitting trade data.
NOAA is working with U.S. Customs & Border Protection to create the system, which will be called the International Trade Data System.
“The new system will make it easier for industry and seafood suppliers to import/export seafood products and will enhance our ability to ensure only legally caught seafood enters the U.S. market,” NOAA said in a statement.
Right now, according to NOAA, seafood traders have to send information manually, on paper, to multiple agencies multiple times. With the new system, traders can send their data once, without paperwork.
The system is expected to help NOAA track species and sources of seafood, which will better allow the administration to identify products caught via illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
“We are really looking forward to seeing this new electronic trade system go live”, said Chris Rogers from NOAA Fisheries International Affairs. “We have been working on this system for over five years, and believe it will make it much easier for traders to import and export seafood products, as well as help our global fight against IUU fishing.”
